Kevsrsing mechanism eok intern al-combtjstiokr



R. T. MOODY.

REVERSING MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTIONVENGINES.

APPLICATION HLED DEC.2I, 1918 1,318,684. Patented Oct. 14,1919.

Moo d7 curt 1 as: rrrns MoonY, or KEENE, new roax.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 1d, 1919.

Application filed December 21. 1918. Serial No. $57,822.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAY T. MoonY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Keene, in the county of Essex and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reversing Mechanism for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which. the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines, and particularly to means for reversing an internal combustion engine.

The general object of this invention is to provide a mechanism of this character in which a reversal of the engine is secured by reversing the cam which operates the exhaust valve, this reversin device being particularly useful in p-orta' le sawing outfits where it is often necessary to use 'a left hand sawing machine in case no provision for reversal is made or run with a cross belt which causes loss through friction and a great deal of extra wear on the belt.

A further object is to provide a mechanism of this character including a reducing gear wheel, which is operatively connected to the crank shaft, and a cam mounted upon and rotatable by the reducing gear wheel, and mechanism whereby the cam may be shifted with relation to the reducing gear wheel so as to thereby change .the instant at which the exhaust valve opens, and in this connection provide a mechanism of this character wherein the cam is releasably latched to the reducing gear wheel so that when unlatched it may be shifted to a re verse position by engagement with the operating stem of the exhaust valve.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved reversing mechanism for internal combustion engines.

Fig, 2 1s a sectional View of the devlce; and

Fig. 3 is a detail face View of a reducing viding bearings for an operating rod or shifter rod as will be later described. The inner face of the member 10 is cut awav as at 12, and this member it) is formed with a transversely extendlng 'bore or bearing 13. Mounted in this bore is a shaft 14, which is tubular, and mounted upon the shaft 14 to rotate therewith, is a reducing gear 15 of the usual type adapted to be geared to the crank shaft of theengine in the usual manner.

Carried upon that portion of the tubular shaft 14 which extends beyond the reducing gear 15 is a cam 16, which is loose upon the shaft and adapted to turn freely thereon when notlocked to the reducing gear. Longitudinally shiftable through the tubular shaft 14 is a latch rod 17 the extremity of which carries an angularly bent portion 18 which at its extremity is inwardly turnedas at 1'9,'and adapted to enter a perforation 20 in the cam. The reducing gear 15 is formed attwo points with perforations 21 into which the terminal end 19 of the latch rod passes. When this latching rod is shifted outward so as to carry its terminal end slightly beyond the face of the reducing gear 15, then it will be obvious that the cam will be free to .rotate independently of the reducing gear while when the latching rod is drawn inward and its terminal end 19 enters one of the perforations 21, the cam will be locked to the reducing gear.

The latching rod 17 is shifted into or out of its locking position by means of an operating rock shaft 22, one end of which is angularly bent as at 23 and forked at its extremity, this forked end engaging an annular'groove 2 1 in the inner end of. the rod 17. The opposite end of the rock shaft 22 is provided with a lever orarm.25 whereby the shaft may be rocked. This lever arm may. Y

be connected by suitable levers or connections to any desired operating member or it may constitute the operating member itself.

In order to prevent the cam from turning too far or in other words to limit the movement of the cam relative to the reducing gear 15 so that the cam shall simply shift to its reverse position and not beyond this point, I form on the outer face of the reducing gear 15 the arcuate groove 26, and the inner face of the cam 16 is formed with the inwardly projecting stud 27, which engages in this groove 26. This groove is of sufficient length. to permit the cam to have a rotation of approximately one-third of a complete circle upon the reducing gear.

Preferably a spring 28 will be provided which may engage the rock shaft 22 of the rod 17 andwhich will urge the latch rod 17 toward the cam so as to cause the terminal end 19 to snap into positionin one or the other of the perforations 21 when the operating lever is released. With this construction when the cam is in one position the engine will operate as usual and will run in one direction, but in order to reverse the engine therock shaft 22 is operated in a direction to shift out the latch rod 18 and then when the cam strikes the roller on the end of the exhaust valve stem 29, the rollerwill force the cam back to its offset position and as soon as this position has been reached, the latch will snap into the corresponding perforation 21, looking the cam there and the engine kicks back and reverses;

In reversing the engine, the engine can be slowed down until it almost stops. Then the lever 25 is lifted up and as soon as the long end of the cam strikes the roller on the shaft of the gear Wheel 7 wheel for locking the cam to push rod the lever is allowed to snap back into place and it will latch in its-opposite position with the cam reversed from what it was before. By providing means for reversing the engine, the engine may run in opposite directions, thus changing the wear on the bearings and economizing in wear and tear on the engine and further because dificrent pieces of material run in opposite directions,

and Where an engine 'is to be shifted from use with one piece of machlnery to use with another and the engine is not reversible, cross belts have to be used which means a loss of power through friction. .It will, of course, be understood that the reducing gear may be connected to the crank shaft of the engine by any. suitable intermediate gears but should run at a speed one-half that of the engine,-as is usual.

It will be Seen that this device is very simple, that it may be readily applied to all types of internal combustion engines in which the exhaust valve is operated by a cam shaft, or equivalent element, and that it permits the very easy reversal of the engine. While I have illustrated a form of In device which I have found to be particularly effective in actual practice, yet I do not Wish to be limited to this, as it is obvious that many changes maybe made in the details of construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the lnvention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim 1. In an internal combustion engine, an exhaust valve stem, a gear wheel operatively driven from the crank shaft of the engine, a cam rotatively mounted upon the and coacting with the exhaust valve stem, means manually shiftable independently of the cam or gear the gear Wheel or unlocking it therefrom to permit it to shift when in contact with the exhaust valve stem, and means for limiting the rotation of the cam relative to the gear wheel.

2. In an internal combustion engine, an exhaust valve stem, a gear wheel operatively driven from the crank shaft of the engine, a cam rotatably mounted u on the shaft of the gear wheel and coactlng With the exhaust valve stem, a member, manually shiftable independently of the cam or gear wheel for locking the cam to the gear wheel or unlocking it therefrom to permit it-to shlft when in contact with the exhaust .valve stem, the confronting faces of the gear wheel and the cam being formed one with a groove and the other with a pin engaging with the groove, the pin and groove limiting the rotation of the cam relative to the gear wheel. 3. In an internal combustion engine, an exhaust valve stem, a ear wheel operatively connected to the cranc shaft of the engine and driven thereby, a tubular shaft upon Which the gear wheel is mounted, a longitudinally shiftable and rotatable shaft passing through the tubular shaft, a cam loosely mounted upon the first named shaft and against the face of the gear Wheel, said cam coacting with the exhaust valve stem, a radially projecting arm carried by the second named shaft and having an angularly bent terminal portion, the cam having a perforation through which the terminal portion passes and the gear wheel having a pair of perforations spaced from each other and into which the terminal end of the arm is adapted to engage, the confronting faces of the cam and gear wheel-being provided, one with an arcuate groove and the other with a stud engaging in the arcuate groove to limit the independent rotation of the cam, and manually controlled means for shifting the central shaft longitudinally to shift the terminal end of the arm out of engagement 1 with the gear wheel to thereby permit the exhaust valve stem, bearing against the cam,

to shift it relative to the gear wheel to thereby reverse the operation of the engine.

4. In an internal combustion engine, an exhaust valve stem, a gear wheel operatively connected to the crank shaft of the engine and driven thereby, a tubular shaft upon which the gear wheel is mounted. a longitudinally shiftable and rotatable shaft passi ng through the tubular shaft, a cam loosely mounted upon the first named shaft and against the face of the gear wheel, said cam coacting with the exhaust valve stem, a radially projecting arm carried by the second named shaft and having an angularly bent terminal portion, the cam having a perforation through which .the terminal portion passes and the gear wheel having a pair of perforations spaced from each other and into which the terminal end of the arm is adapted to engage, the confronting faces of the cam and gear wheel being provided, one with an areuate groove and the other With a stud engaging in-the arcxiate groove to limit the independent notation of the cam, and a manually operable rock shaft having a bifurcated arm thereon operatively engaging the central shaft to shift it longitudinally when the rock shaft is rocked.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

RAY TITUS MOODY,

Witnesses: I

RICHARD L. TRUMBULL,

E. S. PARMETER. 

